The Only Thing I See
by Sarah22
Summary: A/U. Ch. 3 up! (Hikaru/Lantis) Hikaru has gone blind! Fortunately, a family friend, Lantis, is there for her... but will she fall in love with the wrong guy?
1. An Unfair Curse

The Only Thing I See

Ch. 1: An Unfair Curse

            Hikaru's oldest brother, Satoru, smiled as he watched his energetic little sister chase their dog, Hikari, around. "You shouldn't run around like that, mother just cleaned this floor."

            Hikaru and Hikari halted to a stop, and the girl gave her brother a sheepish grin. "Oh… I forgot about that!" She whistled and bounded out the door, and her dog obediently following her. The red head waved to her two other brothers as she ran past them, holding Hikari's leash. Hikaru quickly snapped on the leash and then hurdled outside. 

            Hikari barked as they walked across the busy streets of Tokyo. A few people, Hikaru's neighbors and friends, waved to her as she passed. The young girl smiled and waved back, full of life and joy as usual. 

            "Whoa! Slow down, Hikari!" The dog was practically dragging Hikaru to the park, and the red head was desperately trying to maintain control of her dog. Hikari slowed down slightly, but then sped up again at the sight of the park. "Gahh!"

            The dog paid no attention at all this time, as it spotted a squirrel running across the grass. Hikari's leash promptly flew out of Hikaru's hand, and the dog chased after the squirrel, not noticing it's owner chasing him. 

            "Oh, no! Hikari, stop!" One again, the dog ignored her and splashed into a large mud puddle, getting mud all over himself. Fortunately, Hikaru managed to dodge the watery dirt. "Come back, Hikari!"

            The dog was jerked to a stop, however, when a young man caught onto her leash. Hikaru finally caught up and looked at the man in gratitude. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

            He shook his creamy blond hair and smiled, his golden eyes sparkling as he did so. "It's no problem at all. Your dog's a bit of a mess, though."

            "Oh, boy…" Hikaru shook her head. "Hikari, your punishment will be quite evil. You're going for a **long** bath—and you need it!"

            The dog whimpered slightly at the word bath, but knew she was already in enough trouble as it was. Running away again wouldn't help matters.

            "Is that her name? Hikari? What's your name?" asked the blonde stranger.

            "Oh! I've been rude! Yes, this is my dog, Hikari. I'm Shido Hikaru." She bowed in greeting.

            The handsome man bowed, "Nice to meet you, Hikaru. I'm Eagle. Eagle Vision."

            She looked surprised. "That's not a Japanese name. Are you a foreigner?"

            "Yes, I am. I'm visiting from America. Eagle Vision isn't a very popular English name, either." He chuckled slightly. "I guess I kinda stick out, huh?"

            Hikaru shook her head, "No, you're very handsome." Her eyes widened and she placed a hand over her mouth. Blushing, she quickly said, "I-I'm sorry! I, uh…"

            Eagle smiled, and shook his head. "No, I'm very flattered." His eyes sparkled. "You're very beautiful. It's quite a compliment from a lady like yourself." With that, he gracefully kissed the back of her hand and walked away.

            Hikaru stared after his retreating back for a while, then looked down at her dog. "Wait till I tell Fuu and Umi 'bout him!"

            The dog, despite the trouble it was in, licked her hand and smiled. 

            "Oh, I wonder what Masaru and Kakeru will think." She looked at the hand that he kissed, and smiled. 

            Hikari inwardly sweatdropped. Knowing Hikaru's brothers, they would probably go on a hunt for the handsome stranger, and beat the stuffing out of him for touching their precious Hikaru. Or at least, tear apart the dojo, freaking out about how Hikaru was growing up too fast. The dog had known the three brothers for quite a while. 

            The girl smiled and tugged on her dog's leash. "Come on, sweetie, we gotta get you cleaned up. Guests are coming over tomorrow."

~*~

            Hikaru yawned as she passed through the streets, grocery bag in hand. Her brother's hadn't approved of her going out by herself, but she had insisted. Guests were coming, and her brother's were worn out from cleaning. She wanted to help however she could, and went out to buy the groceries needed for the dinner her mother had planned. 

            "It's a good thing I didn't tell them about Eagle, they're a bit overprotective…" She giggled, her face burning at the thought of the good looking man. 

            "Hey, cutie, where ya going?"

            Hikaru looked around, startled. Her eyes finally came to rest on three burly men, who were menacingly staring at her body. She shrunk back a bit, afraid and surprised. One of the men lunged out and grabbed her arm, clamping a hand over her mouth before she could let out a scream. 

            "Now, now, sweets, don't be scared!" the biggest man rubbed his meaty hand on her thigh, causing Hikaru to panic. "I said, CALM DOWN!" the big man touched her most feminine part with his fingertip, when Hikaru bit the hand that kept her quiet. 

            "SHIT! You bitch!"

            The third man, who had been groping Hikaru's waist and breasts, stumbled backward in surprise. His gaunt face shook with fury, as Hikaru tumbled out of their grasp. The red head looked around, desperate for some help. Before she could break completely free and run away, the man with the bitten hand tackled and pinned her to the ground. The big man, raged from her escape attempts, slid out a large chain. Before Hikaru could even close her eyes, the chain slashed at her face, scarring both her eyes. She began to scream hysterically, as she wrestled the man who was pinning her down. Her eyes were closed, but they were both swollen and the area around them was bleeding. 

            "Hey, who the fuck do you think you are?!?" The biggest man glared at the newcomer, who only stared back icily.

            "Let go of her."

            The gaunt faced thug sneered and walked to his bigger friends side. "Why should we do that?"

            The man didn't answer, but pointed a gun directly into the bigger man's face. 

            All three men froze up at the sight of the gun, and they quickly disappeared from sight. 

            "Hikaru…" the boy looked at her limp body, and shook his head in sorrow. At least he had gotten to her before they… No, bad time to think about such things. He gently searched her body before finding her wallet. Looking it through it carefully, he noticed several pictures of a long, blue-haired girl and another girl with curly blond hair. The blue haired one was fencing in one picture, posing with the blond in another picture, and holding a huge birthday cake in yet another picture. The blond was shown racing down a track, surrounded by stacks of books, and posing with a man who's hair was a shocking green. Finally, he came to what he was looking for, her student I.D. He noted that she lived just barely half a mile from there, and quickly figured out the fastest route. Returning the wallet, he carefully picked Hikaru up, and carried her to his rented convertible. Pushing down the front seat so that she could lie, he laid her down before running to the other side of the car.

~*~

            The doorbell sounded throughout the house, and the three brothers looked up in surprise. Their mother leaned out the window and commanded, "Get the door! Must be Hikaru."

            Satoru opened the door, and it was fortunate that the most sensible brother greeted the rescuer and Hikaru. But still, Satoru could barely hide his shock as he stared at her limp body. "H-Hikaru!?! What happened???"

            "I'll explain. May I enter?"

            Satoru nodded mutely, then called for his parents and brothers. 

            Everyone gathered around the sofa where the stranger had set Hikaru down. "I managed to get to her before the thugs could rape her, but she's still hurt pretty bad. Her body's in shock, and her eyes are really damaged."

            Masaru and Kakeru stared in shock, their blood boiling at the fact that Hikaru had almost lost her innocence. Hikaru's father had already called their doctor, who said he would rush to their home right away. Her mother was sitting down on a chair, afraid that she may faint if she got up. Her Hikaru, her precious daughter, her youngest child… 

            Finally, Mr. Shido spoke up. "Sir, I'm haven't thanked you yet. My family and I are eternally grateful for your help."

            The man shook his head. "It certainly wasn't a problem, I'm just sorry that I couldn't get there sooner."

(B.T.W., the only reason they haven't freaked is because Hikaru only had her eyes damaged, and they don't know that Hikaru had her eyes open when the chain hit her.)

            "Err, may I ask your name?" spoke up Kakeru, wondering who this stranger was.

            "Oh! I've been rude." He bowed, and said, "I am Eagle Vision. Or Vision Eagle, Japanese order. I'm a visitor from America. I ran into your lovely daughter at the park, her dog was giving her quite the chase."

~*~

            Hikaru slowly opened her eyes, only to find that she couldn't see anything! For a moment, she panicked, then noticed the thick bandage around her eyes. So that was why everything was so dark, it was the bandage. She slowly brought herself up, and she heard a sudden clamoring of chairs and feet. She could hear their excited breaths, and tried to take the bandage off. 

            "No, wait, Hikaru." Hikaru's hand paused at the sound of her mother's gentle voice. "You can't take that off. First, we have something to tell you." An eerie silence filled the room and her mother continued in a choked voice, "The bandage on your face is see through. That's not why you can't see anything."

            "…What do you mean?"

            "…Hikaru…" Her mother broke off, unable to continue. Taking a ragged breath, she finished, "You're blind."

~*~

To Be Continued…

A.N. Sorry for such a short beginning! Next chapter, Lantis and his family arrives. ^^ YAY! Err, sorry for making Hikaru go blind and all. Oh, and Eagle is just a guest character. Fuu and Umi are involved, being Hikaru's best friends and all. This fanfic will be Lantis/Hikaru, since Impossible Decisions is **Soooo** _obviously_ Eagle/Hikaru.


	2. Condemned

The Only Thing I See

Ch.2: Condemned

            Lantis glared at his mother, upset at how she had ravaged his room. She was 'helping' him pack, and in the process ruining his closet. "Mom, I think I'll be all right." He focused his stony eyes on her, making it quite obvious that he was annoyed. 

            Hanae Cail shrugged her slim shoulders and sighed. "I know, I know. Your dorm is a haven compared to Zagato's junkyard, but I worry. We haven't visited the Shido's in years, and you haven't even met their daughter, yet! Wait, you were there on the day she was born, right?"

            Lantis paused, and thought about this for a second. Finally, he nodded in confirmation. "I was only about 5 or 6 though. I thought she looked like a pink rat."

            Hanae rolled her eyes. "At least you didn't say something like that out loud, unlike your dim witted brother."

            "He was only 9 or so."

            "Yeah. He was just starting to get out of the whole 'I hate girls' thing." The woman sighed, old memories circling her thoughts. "I'm sure she must be a beautiful young girl, now."

            Lantis paid no attention to the blatant hints his mother was giving him. She didn't expect Lantis to fall for a girl 5 years younger than him, but she DID want him to find a good girlfriend and settle down. Like Zagato and his precious Emeraude. "Whatever."

            "It's been ages since we saw the Shido boys… I remember how happy Saori was at finally having a daughter! Hiroshi was happy too. Especially when he saw how talented his little girl was at Kendo."

            "Do you think Mr. Shido will give me another free Kendo lesson?"

            "I'm sure! He did mention that you had a lot of talent."

            Lantis shrugged, but didn't say anything. The aging woman sighed, "I hope Saori's doing all right. Saori and Hiroshi Shido, they were such a cute couple back in high school. My, my, how years have passed."

            "Mom, will dad be going?"

            "…No." The woman turned away, obviously displeased with the sudden change of subject. "He's at work…again."

            The two continued to pack, but now in absolute silence. 

~*~

            Zagato rolled his eyes, and continued to leaf through his thick textbook, only half listening to his girlfriend's chatter. 

            "Are you SURE your mother's okay with us going to the beach?"

            The dark haired man nodded and lied, "Of course. It's not like we don't see the Shido's all the time. It's not like we'll be gone the entire time! I'll be back for at least half of the trip. She's fine with it."

            "Well…. Okay…." Emeraude smiled at her handsome lover, and said, "I trust you." 

            Zagato's eyes softened and he gazed at her perfectly shaped face.  "… I love you."

            The sweet young woman paused in her crazed organizing to return his affection. She traced the side of his face with her fingertip, enjoying the feeling of his soft skin. "I know."

            There was a sudden crash, and they both jumped. Zagato quickly whipped around to glare at the intruder – Primera, Lantis's loyal dog that had been kicked out during Hanae's stay. Their mother couldn't stand dogs, one of the main reasons for the lack of visits between them and the Shido family. Primera had knocked over one of Zagato's stuffed suitcases. The sweet young puppy gave her temporary master an innocent look, her tail tucked between her legs. 

            Emeraude giggled at how her lover immediately melted inside, patting the dog on her head. Emeraude had always found it funny, the way that animal's could so easily sway the two cold sons' of the Cail family. She didn't comment, though, and merely continued to stuff Zagato's entire dorm into suitcases. Already, she had packed his entire wardrobe, and had miraculously only used three suitcases. Now she was in the middle of packing extra's… everything from sun block to each and every book of his library. Just in case her lover got bored. If you had looked through Emeraude's choice of lingerie, though, it was quite obvious that Zagato wasn't going to get a moment's rest.   

            "Emeraude, is it really necessary to take THREE radios?"

            She paused in her packing and looked thoughtful. "Well, one is to play C.D.'s, but it doesn't get good radio reception, the second one is in case we need to listen to the radio, and the third is in case our second radio runs out of batteries or fritzes out or something. I mean, what if we become stranded in the middle of nowhere?!? Look at Gilligan's island!"

            The dark haired man merely shook his head, but didn't comment. He could deal with his girlfriend's lunacy once they arrived at the beach. Till then, he secretly plotted a way to leave behind half of his suitcases. 

~*~

            Saori gently stroked her sleeping daughter's face, and sighed. She felt so helpless, watching her daughter slowly fall into complete despair. It still didn't seem real… It was as if God had swooped down and stolen the sun away. And indeed, the light had left Hikaru's once bright eyes, leaving them as lifeless orbs. Truly, it was the most despairing moment of her life. Never before had she encountered such an unfair sentence. 

            Kakeru walked quietly into the room, placing each step with care. He sighed silently at his mother's heartbroken face and laid his hand on her shoulder. Saori looked up at her youngest son, and shook her head. Kakeru nodded in understanding, the same misery present in his young eyes. Already, he seemed older, forced into maturity by his sister's predicament. 

            "I tried to call Hanae and Akinori Cail's home, but neither of them answered," whispered Kakeru, kissing his mother's cheek.

            "It's all right. The company might be good for Hikaru. Being around a lot of people won't make her feel as trapped."

            "Trapped?"

            "She's forever trapped in a gray jail, now. Thank God she can still hear, otherwise she'd be living in a hellhole for the rest of her young life," explained Saori. The woman blinked, trying to keep herself from crying in front of her children. But to have her precious child, the youngest one, condemned to such a life… It was too painful to even think about.

            "Mom, should I make some tea? I'll get some water for Hikaru too… I guess she'll need a straw."

            Saori nodded, it was too soon to train Hikaru. For now, they would pamper her. Afterwards, they'd probably need to get her a seeing eye dog. The mother felt a pang in her heart… her daughter would never be able to become a seeing eye dog trainer, like she had always wanted. 

            Hikaru stirred in her sleep, and shifted slightly. Besides the red welt across her eyes, she looked like the healthy child she once was. She didn't scream 'blind child, blind child!' like Saori thought she would. No, Hikaru was as beautiful as ever. 

            Kakeru had returned, and gently set the tea and water down on Hikaru's mahogany desk. "…Do you think she'll be all right?" He looked down anxiously at his little sister's sleeping form, and hesitantly stroked her face.

            "Hikaru… Hikaru is always all right. Even if she's suffering through the worst pain in the world, she'll always say she's okay."

            The worried brother smiled sadly, "Yeah… I know. I know."

~*~

            Hanae glared at her husband, trying to calm herself. "So. You're leaving again."

            "It's not my fault! I have a very important job, Hanae. I am sorry, though," heaved Akinori, avoiding his wife's eyes. 

            "Oh, NO, it's NEVER your fault! How can you do this? We haven't seen the Shido's for 14 years… because of YOU! You were one of Hiroshi's closest friends… Hell, do you even know what friends are? Because you obviously don't know the meaning of family or the importance of them!"

            "LOOK! I do what I do because I KNOW it'll pay off one day. I WILL find that cure."

            Hanae took a shaky gasp of air, and her hand tightened on the glass. She tilted the drink into her mouth, desperately trying to become drunk.  Obviously, she hadn't drunk enough at the beginning of the argument. 

            Akinori took a deep breath, and faced his wife as calmly as possible. "I'm only going to be in New York for a few days. I'll be back soon."

            "That's what you always say," she replied, bitterly. "You know, you haven't even met Emeraude yet, have you? Her and Zagato are nearly engaged, and you have no idea what she even looks like!"

            He looked at her, obviously exasperated. "Let's not involve Lantis and Zagato in this!"

            "Oh, that's right. Your sons are NEVER involved! Do you even know what they LOOK like, now?!?"

            Akinori shifted his eyes away from hers, and replied, "I'm sorry, all right? I might be able to make part of the visit."

            "Forget it. I'm going to sleep." With that, the furious woman pushed back her chair, and walked off. 

            "I'm sorry…" Akinori sighed. There was no way this was going to be resolved tonight. He picked up the glass she had left behind, and dropped it into the dishwasher. His fingers trembled as they ran through his hair, and he gave one last, longing glance at the bedroom door. "I truly am sorry." He slipped on his leather coat, and walked out of the house and even farther from Hanae. 

~*~

            The next day, Hanae was far from happy. Not only had she woken up with a killer hangover, but there was a note on the kitchen counter. It was from Zagato…God knows how he put it there. 

_Dear Mother._

_            I will be leaving for a short period of time. I apologize. It is unknown when I will return. Much love. Zagato. _

_Dear Mrs. Cail,_

_            I apologize for Zagato's note. Apparently, he believed it would be FUNNY. I am sincerely sorry about the trip being announced to you in this manner, he told ME that he already told you. But we should return in time for most of your trip to the Shido's! _

_            Very Sorry,_

            Emeraude 

            In a way, it was pretty funny. Hanae crumpled the letter in her hand, and stared at it for a few minutes. Was her life ever like that? So carefree and happy? God knows… It certainly didn't feel like she had ever been that young. Hanae sighed, and walked out to the garage. No time to dwell on such unhappy thoughts. She had to go pick up Lantis… it had been years since she had seen her good friend. 

~*~

            Hanae stood in front of the door, marveling at how everything still looked exactly like how she had remembered it. The soft blossoms of the peach tree gently embracing the way, and the warm glow the house held… All of it was the same. Lantis waited patiently for his mother to ring the bell, but didn't say anything. He knew how important the Shido's were to her. That was why they had been keeping their distance, for the past couple of years. Hanae's hair was beginning to turn gray from the stress of her marriage, although it was hidden under the black hair dye. 

            Hanae just didn't want Saori and Hiro to know about her problems with Akinori. As close friends as they were… it was just so uncomfortable. Damn him. Damn him. DAMN HIM! On such an important week, Aki **would** have to go to work! 

            "Oh, well, here we go!" muttered Hanae, more to herself than anyone. With that, her gloved finger pressed down on the plain looking button.

            The chimes rang throughout the Shido house, and Kakeru scampered to answer it. Trying to smile as sincerely as he could, despite the darkness of his sister's predicament, he opened the door. 

~*~

**Author's Note: **^^ Next chapter: LANTIS AND HIKARU MEET! Bwahahahaha! Oh, the evilness. So, Saori and Hiroshi are Hikaru's parents.  Hanae and Akinori are Lantis's parents. Will they be important?

_Damn straight they are! _

^^  And I promise you: THIS WILL BE LANTIS AND HIKARU! No doubts! No if's, and's or but's, this is Lantis/Hikaru! 

So enjoy the ride.


	3. The First Meeting

The Only Thing I See

Ch. 3: 

Kakeru smiled as warmly as he could at Mrs. Cail. "Mrs. Cail! It's great to see you again!" He looked past her shoulder. "Hey, Lantis!"

The quiet boy smiled and nodded in response. Even Lantis, who was insensitive by nature, could tell how strained Kakeru's smile was. 

"It's wonderful to see you as well, Kakeru." She looked at him carefully. "Is something wrong?"

Kakeru lowered his eyes and shook his head. He didn't mean 'no', he meant he couldn't tell her. He wasn't the one to tell her. Rather, he gestured for the two to come in, politely holding the door for them. The two walked in, admiring the changes the house had gone through since their last visit, so many years ago. 

"Hanae?" called a woman's voice. Hanae turned around, and nearly exploded in happiness. 

"Saooooori! It's been MUCH too long!" She promptly squeezed the life out of Hikaru's mother. The two boys shook their heads and left the two woman to talk. Hanae looked after them, and as soon as they left, she took her friend's face in her hands. "You're so pale…! And those bags under your eyes! Classic symptoms of Saori depression. What's the matter?"

Saori sighed and blinked back tears again. "H…Hikaru…"

The elder woman paled and fretted, "Oh! Has she been hurt? Picked on? Love sickness? Heartbreak?"

Suddenly, the red-headed mother broke down crying. Hanae, knowing what her friend needed, gently led her to the kitchen. She sat Saori down on the comfortable kitchen chair, and she sat down across from her. "What ever is the matter, Saori? It must be something horrible for you to… Oh, no… did Hiroshi walk out on you?!?"

Despite her unending tears, Saori looked at her in disbelief. "What? I told you… Hikaru…" Once more, she found herself unable to continue. When she pictured Hikaru, innocent, lost, and…blind… Her walls would crumble and she'd realize how helpless she was. She couldn't even protect her own dear daughter. 

Hanae busied herself in the kitchen, looking for tea. She found it quickly enough, and as she prepared the drink, she chattered away. "Really, what did happen? It really must have been something horrible!"

Saori knew Hanae was trying to get her to talk to her, and the younger woman consented. She had wanted to talk about it, but it was just so difficult for her. Finally, she took a deep breath and launched into the story.

By the time she was done, Hanae had burned herself on scalding water and broken a tea cup. And Hanae was not normally a klutzy woman. 

Saori soaked up the hot water, as Hanae cleaned the glass. The elder woman hadn't said anything yet, except utter, "I'm so sorry…" at the end of her story. Obviously, she was still trying to absorb it all. Saori couldn't blame her – she hadn't taken it all in yet, either. 

"I don't know what to do… My poor daughter, such an unfair curse…" she trailed off, staring at a framed photo. It was of a two year old Hikaru, the child smiling happily at her older brothers.

~*~

Lantis was currently being given the 'Grand Tour'. 

"All right, so this is my room, that I share with Masaru," narrated Kakeru. "And this Satoru's room, lucky bastard gets his own room." He paused in front of the next door, a simple oak clone of the other doors. "And…this… This is Hikaru's room." His hand shook slightly as he rested it on the knob. "I…should probably tell you this first… But Hikaru's recently become blind. It happened just yesterday…"

The normally somber man looked at the boy with shock written clearly on his face. "What do you mean, it happened just yesterday?"

Kakeru's lips quavered, as if he wanted to say but wasn't sure. Finally, he shook his head. "I…can't tell. Later. Satoru will tell you." With that, he started to withdraw his hand, but then changed his mind. "You should meet her now. You'll love her, I promise you." The door creaked open, and Hikaru's sensitive ears easily picked up the sound.

"Eagle?"

"No, it's me." Kakeru kneeled at his sister's bedside. "How are you? Feeling okay?"

The redhead nodded and smiled sweetly. "Yeah! Hikari was keeping me company, but Masaru had to take him for a walk." 

"That's good… A guest is here to see you. His name is Lantis. Cail Lantis. You don't know him personally, of course…"

Hikaru clapped her hands together happily. "Oh! The Cail family is here? They must think I'm horribly rude, not even coming down to greet them." Her hands searched for her brother's. "Where is he? He's awfully silent…"

Lantis was staring at Hikaru's eyes. Although open, they had a certain dull quality to them. And the unattractive red welt made him sick. She was such a beautiful girl, with glassy red eyes and silky pink lips. The girl was dressed in a satin nightgown and her hair was let down loosely over it. Finally, he snapped out of his trance like admiration of her beauty, and touched her hand. "Hello…" He was surprised at his own actions, as if his hand had acted of it's own accord.

Hikaru tentatively held out a hand, and felt his face. Her fingers traced over his eyelashes, and then the soft outline of his lips. She caressed his cheek and let her hand recognize him for her. Finally, she dropped her arm, and smiled softly in his direction.. "Nice to meet you, Lantis-san. I'm Hikaru. Well, I guess you'd already know that. I wish I were more presentable…"

"No, you look fine." Lantis mentally smacked himself. He couldn't think of a better word than 'fine'? But then again, from the look on Kakeru's face… Wait a minute…He was tempted to physically slap himself this time. This was the fifteen year old daughter of a family friend! What the hell was he on!?!

"Ah… We should leave you to rest, Hikaru. Mom will come to help you get ready for dinner soon. And Masaru should be returning with Hikari in a minute… Do you want the radio on?"

Hikaru nodded, and then hesitantly asked, "When will Eagle come to visit me again?"

Kakeru bristled at his name, even though he was the one to save Hikaru. That guy was getting a little too close to Hikaru, lately. "I don't know… I think he said around 8. He'll probably stop by after our dinner."

She nodded happily and then set her head down to rest. Kakeru took this opportunity to leave, dragging the still staring Lantis with him. 

"Who's Eagle?"

Kakeru blinked. "Huh? Oh, he's some blonde American guy. He… well, he saved Hikaru's life. Eagle was the one who scared off those fucked up thugs."

Lantis nodded, understandingly. "Oh, I see. She's probably rather attached to him."

The youngest brother sneered. "If you ask me, HE is the one who's getting too attached. He brought over flowers last night, and tonight he's probably going to bring over an engagement ring. I'd have to kill him, then… If Masaru doesn't beat me to it."

The older man shook his head -- he should have known how obsessively overprotective her brother's would be…

Just then, Saori popped up and said. "Kakeru, help Mrs. Cail in the kitchen while I help Hikaru."

Kakeru nodded, and led Lantis to the dining room, while Saori moved in the opposite direction. The mother rapped lightly on her daughter's door, and opened it when she received no answer. Inside, Hikaru was sound asleep. She was muttering slightly in her sleep though.

"Eagle…san… I want to see… Eagle-san…"

Her mother paused, she really hated to wake her daughter up, especially if she was having such a nice dream. Saori had to admit, he was a very handsome foreigner… In fact, if she was just a few years younger… She giggled, and finally woke her daughter up. Hikaru grumbled, and buried her head under her pillow, obviously upset about her blissful dream being dismissed in such a way. 

"Darling… You must wake up." Saori opened her daughter's closet, and began searching through Hikaru's more formal clothes. "Oh! I love this one!" She pulled out a white spring dress, and a pair of white flats. "Now, WAKE UP! You need to get dressed!" she demanded, and Hikaru groggily dragged herself out of her bed. 

"Mmm… Oh, right, dinner?"

"Yes - with the Cail family. Here, take my hand and I'll help you wash up and change," said Saori, soothingly. She knew how hard the simplest tasks were going to be from now on - and she would do all in her power to make her daughter's life as fulfilling as it was meant to be. No handicap would stop Hikaru's dreams - Saori would sign her soul over to the devil if she had to. 

Hikaru nodded and stood up from her bed. Giving her hand to her mother, she slowly made her way to the bathroom. She tried to memorize the distance to the bathroom, in hopes that she'd be able to eventually make it there on her own. The bathroom was easily recognized by her feet - the cold tiles stood out distinctly from her room's warm carpet. Slowly, she approached the mirror and stood by it, wishing she could see in it rather than just feeling the cold hardness of it. Her mother turned on the faucet, and with conditioned moves, washed her face. When she attempted to tie her hair, though, she couldn't seem to position her fingers correctly. Saori, instead, pinned her hair up in a tight bun. The mother pulled out just a few strands to frame her face, and then helped her daughter to return to her room.

Back in her room, Hikaru stood in front of the closet, her fingers running through the soft silk of her dress. In her mind, she could still see the cute, summary dress. The memories of going shopping with Umi were still fresh and she had a feeling they would never fade. They were special memories, ones that were capable of bringing some joy into even this dismal situation. And she would have to rely on these kinds of memories even more, now. 

~*~

Saori made her way down the stairs, gently leading Hikaru by the arm. Both the Shido and Cail family's grew silent as she joined them, her beauty and pride undaunted by her new handicap. She gingerly sat down and smiled. "Hello, Mrs. Cail, Mr. Cail, and Lantis. It's good to be in your presence again."

"Yes, yes, it's wonderful to see - ah, be with you again, darling. I'm afraid Mr. Cail couldn't make it, though…" said Hanae, fumbling over her words. She glanced over at her son, silently yelling at him to say something. Lantis knew he needed to say something - anything… but… Somehow at the sight of her, his usually calm and collected mind fell apart. He didn't know how or why, but he couldn't seem to push the right words out of his mouth.

Just then, to Lantis' disappointment or relief, he didn't know, the doorbell rang. The clear chimes didn't escape Hikaru, who instinctively turned towards the door. "Mom, who's at the door?"

"It must be your brother. I'll get it." With quick strides she reached the door before any of her guests could even stand up, and answered it. "O-oh! My, we weren't expecting you so soon…"

"I'm sorry, did I come at a bad time?" Hikaru's ears perked up, and a brilliant smile came to her face. 

"EAGLE!!!" She fumbled towards the door, knocking into a few chairs but somehow making her way to him. The second her hand landed on his chest, she threw her arms around his neck. "Eagle, I was hoping you'd come!"

The blonde chuckled quietly and handed her a rose wrapped in film. "For you." His smile quickly dropped, though. "Oh! I didn't know you were having guests… should I return at another time?"

It was on the tip of Lantis' and Kakeru's tongues to say yes… but Saori beat them to the answer. 

"Of course not, Eagle! We certainly have plenty of food for another! More the merrier, after all. Please, please, come in!"

~*~

A.N. WOW - I UPDATED! O_O That's like, a miracle! Thank you, Hemeraude-hime for inspiring me to continue this fanfic. J I'm really enjoying writing this thing, actually. I hope you all are enjoying reading it!

****

Preview! Dinner with Lantis and Eagle… at the same time, both vying for Hikaru's attention. ^_^ May the games begin! 


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